Purpose: An illustration of the dissemination of ideas among prominent figures in the Theravada tradition, with special emphasis on the study of meditation.

Translation: I made a diagram because I am interested in the different different ways that meditation is taught and practiced, and this is one way to account for one aspect of how it got here (in the eyes of one a westerner/english speaker). I found it helpful and thougt it might be a useful reference for others. If anyone would like to make corrections, additions, or suggestions, please do so, just post the relevant info and link any source material and I will upload an improved version. This is a first draft and I will be improving it on my own now that a good chunk of work has been completed. The diagram is by no means meant to be all-inclusive and is out of necessity limited to those teachers who have written or been translated into english, and perhaps their teachers.

Thanks Travis that looks very interesting!No suggestions or corrections so far but no doubt, others may chip in.kind regards,

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

I dont believe Bhante Sujato ever met Ajahn Chah but I could be wrong, I believe he was a student of Ajahn Brahm. Ajahn Sucitto could go under Ajahn Chah. Richard Shankman could go under Joseph Goldstein.

"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."

One suggestion would be to sacrifice some of the compactness for the sake of a clearer delineation of time. For example, I understand the need for Ajahn Chah to be 'under' J Kornfield due to issues of fitting everything together, and I noted the upward pointing arrow. But if it were possible to have a teacher always 'above' the student, that would make things clearer still, but would probably require a much wider page and so might be impracticable. If that's the case than I would humbly request slightly 'bolder' arrows for the benefit of more 'visually-challenged' folks such as myself

Thanks for all the positive feedback! manas, I agree, reformatting would help to make things more clear. I would also like to have the teachers above the students whenever possible, so that definitely could happen if I do a version 2.0. I would also like to make room for a finer break down of the grouped boxes, like with Ajahn Chah's "line."

It looks like Ajahn Sucitto was a student of Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Sujato was first a student of Ajahn Maha Chatchai and then Ajahn Brahm. I haven't seen much about Shankman's background, but he should be in there, thanks for suggesting him, marc108.

Sam Vega, yes it has been a total labor of love. I 've been having a blast searching and reading, and also blessed with lots of interesting little tangents and side roads to explore along the way.

The way it's laid out makes it look like the Thai Forest tradition is subordinated to the various Burmese traditions, you probably want to have it arranged top down in terms of date with various streams converging later on like a family tree.

"Proper effort is not the effort to make something particular happen. It is the effort to be aware and awake each moment." - Ajahn Chah"When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness. When we stop clinging, we can begin to be happy." - Ajahn Chah"Know and watch your heart. It’s pure but emotions come to colour it." — Ajahn Chah

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' (Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

Impressive work, and very interesting. The suggestions above are also very helpful.

MichaelThe thoughts I've expressed in the above post are carefully considered and offered in good faith.

And friendliness towards the world is happiness for him who is forbearing with living beings. -- Ud. 2:1To his own ruin the fool gains knowledge, for it cleaves his head and destroys his innate goodness. -- Dhp 72

And if you really want to get ambitious with the project, you could make a transmission line that goes back to the Buddha. I think there are some Zen schools that do that; of course with some large gaps over some centuries, to keep the tree a reasonable size. For example, it could go:

The problem with the Ajahn Chah area is that not all who were ordained by him were actually his direct students.Take Ajahn Amaro for example, he spent about two weeks with Ajahn Chah, he spent most of his time while in Thailand at WPN, and then was with Ajahn Sumedho, so could more accurately be described as Ajahn Sumedho's Disciple, and if you have listend to his talks he quotes him allot more than anyone else.or Ajahn Sumedho, who hadn't been ordained by Ajahn Chah, (same for Ajahn Brahm) but these are his disciples. also Ajahn Brahm is Ajahn Bramavamso and in the list twice. it may be easier to put people in order of rains in that list?

Mae Chee Kaew isnt there, I think she was a disciple of Ajahn Mun.also you miss Ajahn Vajiro.

is there not a family tree software you could use?

This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

Boy, I am just imagining what this 'guru parampara' would look like in jiva color and full blown pictures...

Bhikkhus, if you develop and make much this one thing, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction. What is it? It is recollecting the Enlightened One. If this single thing is recollected and made much, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction.Anguttara-Nikaya: Ekanipata: Ekadhammapali: PañhamavaggaVSMVMMWBBTBHTWTBTMy Page

The relationship between Webu Sayadaw and U Ba Khin wasn't that one of teacher/student but probably more like a mentor.U Ba Khin cited U Po Thet (Saya Thet Gyi) as his teacher. Webu Sayadaw encouraged (and authorized) U Ba Khin to teach meditation and then visited U Ba Khin and gave talks at IMC in Yangon from the 1950s.Daw Mya Thwin (Mother Sayamagyi), John Coleman, Robert Hoover and Ruth Dennison were peers, all contemporary students of U Ba Khin. Daw Mya Thwin became the successor of U Ba Khin at IMC. But at that time, at least SN Goenka and John Coleman (perhaps Robert Hoover and Ruth Dennnison) were already authorized by U Ba Khin as assistant teachers. SN Goenka had also been living in India for two years before U Ba Khin's demise in 1971. I don't think any of them, and not just SN Goenka, would consider Daw Mya Thwin as their teacher. I have also heard that John Coleman may have taught at SN Goenka's centre in the early days.

Also...Sagaing Hills.There are over 500 pagodas, the Sitagu University, many monasteries and, of course, the caves at neighbouring Prekhamma Hills.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725